Someone who’s bumptious (BUMP-shus) is pushy; offensively self-assertive. The word was possibly derived from a combination of “bump” and “presumptious.”
Example (as used by John Wood today): “Most successful people are very friendly and will be happy to talk to you. (Provided you aren’t overbearing or bumptious.)”
To be cognizant (KOG-nuh-zunt) — from the Latin for “to learn” — is to be fully aware.
Example (as used by Rich Schefren today): “Your job right now is to become cognizant of what you need to know to achieve your main goal.”
A Pergola (PUR-guh-luh) — from the Italian for “arbor” — is an open lattice structure, usually covered with roses or other climbing plants, that forms a decorative, shaded passageway.
Example (as used by Michael Masterson today): “[This] savvy marketer spent the money to build an 8-foot stucco wall around the property… And he created a very elaborate entrance with pillars, pergolas, and arches.”
Angst (ENGK-stuh) — from the German — is a feeling of dread or anxiety.
Example (as used by Dr. Srikumar Rao today): “If happiness is our nature, why do we not experience it more often? Why are our lives filled with angst and sorrow?”
To asseverate (uh-SEV-uh-rate) — from the Latin for “spoken in earnest” — is to emphatically declare. (more…)
Temerarious(tem-uh-RARE-ee-us) — from the Latin for “heedless” — means reckless or rash.
Example (as used by Michael Masterson today): “The truth is that the most successful entrepreneurs started small and took modest, calculated risks. They were not temerarious and brave, as the business magazines would have you believe.”
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We want your feedback! Let us know your thoughts on today’s issue. Email us at: AskETR@ETRFeedback.com
A whippersnapper (WIP-er-snap-per) — a colloquialism that can be traced back to 17th century England — is someone who is young, impertinent, and presumptuous, with an excess of ambition.
Example (as used by Michael Masterson today): “Those young whippersnappers don’t know the fundamentals. And what they don’t know, they can’t teach.”
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We want your feedback! Let us know your thoughts on today’s issue. Email us at: AskETR@ETRFeedback.com
Is marketing cheating?
MW seems to think so. In particular, she has a problem with a marketing technique that has become known as “The Instant Amazon Bestseller Formula.”
She didn’t accuse me outright of lying for saying that my recent book is an “Amazon bestseller.”
Nor should she, considering the book … “Persuasive Presentations for Business “… did reach the #2 spot on the Amazon nonfiction bestseller list.
What MW doesn’t like is that I used e-mail marketing to get the book there. (more…)
Direct-response marketing – via both e-mail and standard mail – is a type of advertising designed to get the customer it’s aimed at to take an immediate action. That action could take the form of calling an 800 number, sending in a postcard to renew a subscription, signing up to receive free information, or making a purchase. Unlike “image” advertising, which seeks to build awareness of a brand over time, the results of direct-response marketing are specific, trackable, and quantifiable.
Example (as used by Michael Masterson and MaryEllen Tribby in their best-selling book Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business): “Today, with the power of the Internet behind them, branding and DRM work more closely together … closer than they ever have in the history of advertising. The Internet allows companies to create campaigns that are nearly hybrids of traditional branding and traditional DRM.”
Direct response marketing is one of the most powerful marketing mediums you can use to make sales. If DRM – whether it’s e-mail or mail – is not part of your marketing efforts, you are leaving tons of cash on the table.
“To be at the top of your game,” Michael and MaryEllen say, “You need to continue what you do so well – the kind of marketing that is now working for you – but you must gradually add new arrows to your quiver. You will notive a sudden and substantial improvement in sales and profits if you do.
To learn more about DRM – plus 11 other powerful marketing channels that can transform your business – pick up a copy of Changing the Channel right now.
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I’m not an expert in stocks, but I have been involved with stock market publications and stock market gurus for more than 25 years. During that time, I’ve met a lot of characters – some brilliant men without a trace of honesty and some honest men without a trace of intelligence.
I’ve seen investors (including myself) swindled, bamboozled, conned, and just plain charmed.
I’ve seen a lot. And though I have never attempted to figure out the stock market or how to get the better of it, I now have an idea of what works and what doesn’t.
Three caveats, in particular, have come to make sense to me:
1. Don’t put too much money in any one recommendation. By limiting each investment, you’ll never get hurt so badly that you won’t be able to keep going.
2. Never invest in something just because you like the story behind it. A story, by its very nature, is meant to dramatize, not to inform.
3. Don’t leave money in an investment after it turns south. I have many good investment-expert friends who will tell me I’m wrong about this one – but in my experience, when a business starts to fail it will almost always continue in that direction. When it comes to investing in your own business, you know enough about it that you might be able to do something extraordinary to turn things around. But when it comes to other people’s businesses… their success or failure is completely out of your control.
[Ed. Note: One last thing to keep in mind when deciding where and how to invest: Most so-called "Wall Street" experts usually don't know a solid investment from a hole in the ground. Now's your chance to declare your financial independence from the stream of Wall Street mis-advice and gloom and doom. Set yourself free by taking 5 minutes to read our free report here.]
“Distrust and caution are the parents of security.”
Benjamin Franklin
Are food manufacturers and government officials so callous that they are actually using children as guinea pigs when it comes to food labeling?
Apparently so, according to the Chicago Tribune’s 2008 investigative report on hidden allergens in popular food products. Hidden food allergens are part of the reason that an estimated 30,000 Americans are rushed to the emergency room each year and another 150 die – most of them children.
The issue was brought to light when three-year-old Patrick Pridemore ate Wellshire Kids’ Dinosaur Shapes Chicken Bites and began having trouble breathing. His mother jabbed his leg with an epi needle and rushed him to the hospital, where, thankfully, he recovered.
Patrick has a severe allergy to wheat, and the packaging label said the product was “gluten-free” (containing no wheat, rye, or barley proteins). Mrs. Pridemore meticulously scrutinizes labels to ensure that Patrick is not exposed to gluten.
Amazingly, when she contacted Wellshire and the USDA to report Patrick’s health crisis, neither organization would test the product to confirm the presence of gluten. The Tribune then sent the chicken bites to a leading food allergy lab on two separate occasions, and both times gluten was found. But this was still not enough for the manufacturer to recall or relabel the product. Whole Foods was the only retail outlet to remove the chicken bites and two other suspected Wellshire products from its stores.
The logical question to ask now is who’s accountable for accurate food labeling? And the shocking answer is no one. Government regulators allow food companies to police themselves when it comes to package labeling and recalls. And while larger manufacturers are more diligent about testing their products for allergens, smaller companies often do no testing, or very little, because it is not required.
When products are recalled, both the manufacturer and the FDA are often lax when it comes to issuing statements and press releases to the public. And when a press release is issued, it’s often watered down to the point where the true health risks are obscured.
Even worse, the Tribune report found that nearly 50 percent of the allergy-related food recalls in the past 10 years were not disclosed to consumers – and 2,800 products were recalled.
So, where does that leave the 11 million adults and children in the U.S. who have food and digestive allergies? For all intents and purposes, pretty much fending for themselves.
And that’s where the ELL Foundation comes in. ELL (Eat, Learn, Live) is a non-profit organization that advocates for more complete and accurate food allergen labeling. Currently, it may be the best resource for consumers who depend on accurate food labeling to prevent severe allergic reactions.
If you log on to their website, you’ll find a list of current FDA recalls. You’ll also be able to check their database of food allergy incidents reported by members. This is important, because the incidents may have been ignored by the manufacturer – meaning high-risk products are still on store shelves.
ELL encourages consumers “to share their mislabeling experiences by submitting a report through its website,” which is then shared with the public. (Your personal information is protected.) They also provide information on the steps to take if you have had an allergic reaction to a mislabeled food – including how to file a complaint with the FDA and the manufacturer. And if you want to have an ingredient analysis done on the suspected product allergen, ELL provides contact information for the University of Nebraska’s Food Allergy Research & Resource Program (FARRP). The service is free if an allergic reaction occurred because of a mislabeled food.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 3 million American children under the age of 18 have a food or digestive allergy – and that number is growing at an alarming rate. From the Tribune’s report, we know that we can’t sit back and wait for food manufacturers and the FDA to protect them from life-threatening allergic reactions due to mislabeling. What we can do as private citizens is get involved by helping one another avoid health disasters on websites such as ELL’s.
[Ed. Note: To keep yourself - and your loved ones - healthy, you need to stay up-to-date on the latest health breakthroughs. Now you can get an expert perspective on what's going on in the world of health for FREE. Sign up for ETR's natural health newsletter right here.]
Overdrawn checking accounts… bloated credit card bills… overdue bills… NO MORE.
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With Matt’s stashes of “found money” at your fingertips, it’s almost like having your own invisible non-stop cash register, pulling in dollar bills
Matt dashed off a free report, in which he reveals just a small sample of the incredible offers, deals, bargains, and freebies he has planned for you, at no charge.
Read this exciting free report yourself right here.
Several months ago, one of my favorite clients asked me to create a Web-based promotion for a new investment advisory. But instead of beginning with a series of e-mails – or even a new Web page – I promptly sat down and wrote a 24-page DIRECT-MAIL package.
Once the long copy was finished, I knew the rest would be easy. I could simply excerpt sections of it, over and over again, to create a multi-step campaign…
STEP #1. Pick the low-hanging fruit – cheap.
A respectable chunk of my client’s customers love him to death and will buy just about any product he recommends. For these wonderful folks, I created an extremely simple, low-cost e-mail promotion that we sent out immediately.
STEP #2. Get fence-sitters to a “tipping point” website.
I used about half the long direct-mail copy I had written about the product to produce an “Urgent Special Report” that could be accessed via a little website we created online. And in week #2 of the campaign, we began sending e-mails to the client’s customers urging them to click a link in order to read the free report.
STEP #3. Exploit other low-cost or free media.
Then I simply took the 12 pages of copy from the little website I’d created… wrote a new headline and opening copy… turned it into a printed special report… and had it inserted in the next issue of my client’s print newsletter.
STEP #4. Show up where they least expect you to.
Two weeks after the newsletter insert hit our prospects’ mailboxes, we hit them again – with the full 24-page direct-mail package I had initially created to promote the product. This time, it was formatted as a free special report – a “thank you” bonus for loyal customers.
STEP #5. Get tenacious.
Two weeks after the 24-pager hit prospects’ mailboxes, we stuffed it into an envelope, added a one-page letter from my client asking “Why haven’t I heard from you?” and dropped it into the mail.
The combined effect of e-mail, the website, the inserts in the print newsletter, and two direct mailings had a multiplying effect on response.
When the dust had settled, our multi-channel marketing campaign had sold more than $5 million worth of subscriptions to the new service in just five weeks – about five times more than we would have sold through an e-mail promotion alone!
[Ed. Note: Yes, the Internet is ripe with opportunities for savvy marketers to make money. But as master copywriter Clayton Makepeace just proved, the Internet is only ONE channel for communicating with potential customers. If you're stuck using just one marketing method, you need to get your hands on the bestselling book on multi-channel marketing by MaryEllen Tribby and Michael Masterson, Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business. It's a premier guide to beefing up your marketing efforts to bring in double, triple, even quadruple your current revenues. Get your copy now.
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By Don Hauptman
One of my pet linguistic peeves is the frequent misuse of the adjective proverbial.
Consider this sentence, from a magazine profile of a government whistleblower: “When she grabs hold of something, she is like the proverbial dog with a bone in its teeth.”
But the expression the writer cites is not a proverb; it’s a simile.
A quick Internet search reveals that just about anything has been incorrectly labeled proverbial: “sitting on the fence,” “in the hot seat,” “throwing in one’s hat,” “getting hit by a beer truck,” and even “the first post on a blog.”
Some dictionaries have shamefully capitulated, sanctioning this solecism. The American Heritage Dictionary, for example, gives this as its third definition of proverbial:”Widely referred to, as if [emphasis added] the subject of a proverb; famous.”
As I’ve cautioned in this column, however, dictionaries are not always to be trusted. Many are descriptivist, meaning that they simply reflect how words are commonly used, instead of giving us guidance on how they should be used.
A proverb communicates a truth, principle, or moral lesson in a pointed and pithy style: “Out of sight, out of mind.” “Politics makes strange bedfellows.” And, of course, “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
Whether adage, aphorism, apothegm, or axiom, a proverb contains a nugget of wisdom, expressed incisively and memorably. Thus, the word proverbial should be used only in reference to a genuine proverb.
So if you’re ever tempted to say something like “The report went astray, like the proverbial car keys,” ask yourself if what you’re referring to really is a proverb.
[Ed Note: For more than three decades, Don Hauptman was an award-winning independent direct-response copywriter and creative consultant. He is author of The Versatile Freelancer, an e-book recently published by AWAI that shows writers and other creative professionals how to diversify their careers into speaking, consulting, training, and critiquing.]
A recent report from industry watcher iSuppli showed that overall computer sales are down 8 percent from last year. But when viewed separately, sales of laptops grew 10 percent over last year, while desktop sales dropped 23 percent.
This is simply the continuation of a longtime trend. Laptops currently account for 80 percent of computer sales in the United States.
(Source: Gizmodo)
Imagine for a moment you are a pitcher toiling in the minors for years.
You are good, just not great… frustrated you think if only you had that “missing ingredient” to put you over the top-put you into “The Show”, the MAJORS.
Then you get a phone call which changes your life. In fact, its so mind boggling that you think it’s a joke, that’s because it’s “The GREG MADDUX…” 4 Time Cy Young, 350 game winner and FUTURE HALL OF FAMER, Greg Maddux!
All Greg wants to do is personally coach you for 30 days and give you “his” inside secrets to executing three different pitches. Once he does- you are remarkably transformed into a major leaguer… just like that!
Or what if you’re a swimmer on your high-school swim team. You are up for a big tournament in 30 days… this is THE one you need to win to get that college scholarship!
Problem is, there’s LOTS of competition and you might not be good enough.
That is until your coach comes into practice with MICHAEL PHELPS, 8 time OLYMPIC GOLD WINNER Michael Phelps… and he personally coaches you for 30 days and gives you “the missing ingredient”, that will boost your endurance and speed 10x times to what it normally is. CHA-CHING college was just paid for!
There you are… struggling like every other American through the greatest economic crisis of the 21st century… bills are paying off… your house needs repairs (or maybe you are about to lose it).
To add insult to injury your new business is NOT taking off. You are at your breaking point-and then it happens:
The co-founder of the 1st Home Shopping Network and personal mentor to no less than 4 billionaires contacts you.
This rich man wants to give you the “missing ingredient” you need to attract wealth — the one that will turn you into a mean, lean, money making atm machine!
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“Solecism” – from the name of a city (Soloi) where a corrupt form of Greek was spoken – is a nonstandard or ungrammatical use of language.
Example (as used by Don Hauptman today): “A quick Internet search reveals that just about anything has been incorrectly labeled proverbial… . Some dictionaries have shamefully capitulated, sanctioning this solecism.”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker... build your self-confidence and intellect... increase your attractiveness to others... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Issue# 2723
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Kevin Hodges first started using this “blueprint” about five years ago, when his business was a two-person operation.
With only a small amount of instruction on how to implement this blueprint (far less than you can expect to get) – Kevin’s business grew to be grossing over $7 million annually and could now easily be sold for $3.5 million or more.
“This makes me the only 28-year-old I know who can retire today if I wanted to… though business is way too much fun right now,“ Kevin was recently quoted as saying.
This “blueprint” is responsible for generating $275 million a year in Internet revenues. Right now, you can not only get your hands on this blueprint to creating lasting wealth… but you can get expert, step-by-step instruction in how to make it work for YOU.
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Hurry – 470,000+ ETR readers are reading this message too, so these won’t last long.
“How little has situation to do with happiness.”
- Fanny Burney
By Alex Green
The recent decline in home values and the stock market – not to mention corporate and municipal bond markets – has left most investors with less than they had a year ago. To meet their long-term investment goals, many will have to spend less and save more than they originally planned.
This is not easy. As the economist Adam Smith wrote in The Wealth of Nations in 1776:
“The desire for food is limited in every man by the narrow capacity of the human stomach; but the desire of the conveniences and ornaments of building, dress, equipage, and household furniture, seems to have no limit or certain boundary.”
In the current economic downturn, many of us are unable to afford all the things we want. That pinches. But should it make us unhappy?
That depends. But for most of us, the answer is a resounding no.
As Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert writes in Stumbling On Happiness:
“Economists and psychologists have spent decades studying the relation between wealth and happiness, and they have generally concluded that wealth increases human happiness when it lifts people out of abject poverty and into the middle class but that it does little to increase happiness thereafter. Americans who earn $50,000 per year are much happier than those who earn $10,000 per year, but Americans who earn $5 million per year are not much happier than those who earn $100,000 per year. People who live in poor nations are much less happy than people who live in moderately wealthy nations, but people who live in moderately wealthy nations are not much less happy than people who live in extremely wealthy nations. Economists explain that wealth has ‘declining marginal utility,’ which is a fancy way of saying that it hurts to be hungry, cold, sick, tired, and scared, but once you’ve bought your way out of these burdens, the rest of your money is an increasingly useless pile of paper.”
If this is true, why are so many people out there busting their humps for more?
For some, it is the pursuit of financial independence, a worthy goal. But for others, the answer lies in their increasingly materialistic ways.
We all must consume to survive, of course. But when consumerism becomes an end in itself, when it overruns more important ideals, provides the measure of our success, or corrodes our capacity to know truth, see beauty, or feel love, our lives are diminished.
Some will argue that for economies to flourish, we need rampant consumerism. It is consumers’ insatiable hunger for more stuff that fuels the economic engine.
In many ways, this is true. In fact, the notion itself is hardly new. In 1759, Adam Smith wrote in The Theory of Moral Sentiments:
“The pleasures of wealth and greatness… strike the imagination as something grand and beautiful and noble, of which the attainment is well worth all the toil and anxiety which we are so apt to bestow upon it. … It is this deception which rouses and keeps in continual motion the industry of mankind.”
Notice that Smith, the father of the concept of free markets, referred to the endless pursuit of more as “this deception.” He recognized that the needs of a vibrant economy and the requirements for us to be happy as individuals are not the same.
Studies show that the riches and material goods we desire – should we have the good fortune to acquire them – won’t necessarily make us happier. Yet we often imagine they will, even when experience teaches us otherwise.
Walk into your local auto dealership, for example, and check out the cars in the showroom. They look sharp. They smell good. The tires have been blackened. The exteriors have been waxed and polished and Windexed until they gleam. In short, we are seduced by their newness.
And even though we know that a new automobile is perhaps the world’s fastest-depreciating asset – and within weeks we will be mindlessly traveling from point A to point B without a second thought about our vehicle’s make or model – we plunk for one.
As my grandmother used to say, “Most people can’t tell the difference between what they want and what they need.” (This remark, incidentally, was generally directed toward me and my latest two-dollar object of fascination at F.W. Woolworth.)
Look around today and you’ll have no problem finding folks with plenty of neat things: big cars, fancy boats, the latest electronic gadgets, and all sorts of expensive “bling.” They seem to have it all. What you may not realize is how many of them are two payments from the edge.
Yet some middle-class Americans remain obsessed with what they don’t have. To some, it just doesn’t seem right – doesn’t seem fair – that others have so much more than they do. But as political satirist P.J. O’Rourke observed:
“I have a 10-year-old at home, and she is always saying, ‘That’s not fair.’ When she says that, I say, ‘Honey, you’re cute; that’s not fair. Your family is pretty well off; that’s not fair. You were born in America; that’s not fair. Honey, you had better pray to God that things don’t start getting fair for you.’”
[Ed. Note: If you're sick of thinking about "more money, more stuff" - or if you want to know what, besides wealth, there is to life - pick up a copy of bestselling author Alex Green's latest book, The Secret of Shelter Island: Money and What Matters. Described by Michael Masterson as "shockingly good," this book will help you explore money, meaning, and the pursuit of a good life. Get your copy here.]
Instead of spending money 4, 5, even 10 times a day… imagine if you could start collecting cash that often.
If you could receive $300,000+ to help further your dreams…
Or pick up a $75,000 “bonus” to buy a home or make home improvements…
Or even snag $1,200 a month to get a higher paying job (This is not a loan!)…
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By David Cross
An e-mail newsletter is one of the best ways to make almost any business at least twice as valuable, to generate substantial cash flow, and to double or triple profits. It’s also the perfect way to turn an interest or hobby into a moneymaking venture.
And starting one is much easier than you might think. You really need only three things (and the ability to be a good writer is not one of them):
1. Something to Write About
The Internet is full of thousands of people who are interested in the same things you are. So when you’re looking for a topic for your e-newsletter, think about your own interests, your own hobbies, and your own areas of expertise. This has two benefits. First, you’ll be able to write about your topic with endless enthusiasm. Second, you’ll be able to write articles that are useful, informative, and based on your own real-life experience.
2. An Audience
There are 1.6 billion Internet users out there, according to Internetworldstats.com. Among them is your audience. The best way to find these folks is through search engine marketing.
First, set up a small “landing page” that explains the benefits of reading your newsletter. Include a sign-up form that allows you to “capture” names and e-mail addresses.
Next, set up a pay-per-click (PPC) ad campaign with some of the major search engines. When people search for the keywords you’ve purchased, they’ll have a chance to see your ad. Once they click on your ad, they’ll be routed to the landing page you set up earlier.
You can also include a small ad for your e-newsletter on the back of your business card, on your voicemail message, and at the bottom of your e-mails. And tell other enthusiasts about your e-newsletter and ask them to share it with their friends.
3. A Way to Get the Message Out
To send out your e-newsletter, use an e-mail service provider like Get Response, AWeber, or 1Shoppingcart. That should set you back less than $30 a month. Your service provider will allow you to add subscribers automatically, create newsletters with pre-designed templates, and determine which subscribers open your e-mails and click on your links (so you can track those who are most responsive to your offers).
Once you’re up and running, you’re ready to start using your e-newsletter to generate income. I’ll tell you how to do that in my next article…
[Ed. Note: David Cross - Senior Internet Consultant to Agora Inc. - and a handful of other Internet marketing experts have just revealed a powerful "blueprint" that's responsible for generating $275 million a year in Internet revenues. Right now, you can not only get your hands on this blueprint to creating lasting wealth... you can get expert, step-by-step instruction in how to make it work for YOU. Act before 5:00 p.m. TOMORROW, and you could get a whopping 80% discount on this incredible guide to Internet riches. Learn more here.]
By Yanik Silver
Too many entrepreneurs and business owners seem to believe that they cannot leave their office – even for a few days of fun in the sun – without things getting off track. I call this “I Can’t Leave My Business” syndrome.
If that’s the way you feel, you either have some serious micro-managing issues that need to be worked on… or you need to remember why you went into business for yourself.
You might think you’re indispensable, but everyone (including you) is replaceable. If employees are left to fend for themselves without the “big boss” insisting on approving everything, most things would still get done. Maybe not quite the way you would do it, but the end result would be close enough… and you’d have the freedom to enjoy your life.
In fact, I think freedom is the operative keyword for entrepreneurs. (That is why you struck out on your own, right?) And unless we exercise that freedom by stepping away from the office from time to time, it slowly collapses – and we become nothing more than highly paid servants to our businesses.
[Ed. Note: Starting your own Internet business is the epitome of freedom. You'll have the freedom to concentrate on your passion... the freedom to set your own hours... the freedom to work from anywhere in the world. Best of all, you could finally have freedom from financial worries. Get started building your own Internet business with help from ETR's experts. They'll show you how to set up a website, create products, make sales, and much more. Act by 5:00 p.m. Saturday and you could get 80% off this powerful program - plus a $2,000 bonus. Get the details now.
For more about how much freedom you can have with an Internet business, check out master Internet marketer Yanik Silver's website www.MaverickBusinessInsider.com. He breaks new ground in online marketing every day... and still finds the time to "get away from it all."]
“I greatly appreciate Kelley Herring’s articles in ETR and Total Health Breakthroughs – and her great recipes. (Many are standard fare on my weekly menus.)
“Kelley’s article regarding post-workout fueling was another good reminder of a ‘don’t’ for people working to get fit. My question: What is a good pre-workout ’snack’? I get up early in the morning to work out, and having to eat something immediately before that will likely give me a side ache or stomach ache. What is the best approach? Eating too little leaves me feeling lightheaded and limp. Eating too much and ugh!”
Audry Morell
Pompano Beach, FL
Hello Audry,
Thank you for the compliments – and for a great question!
Eating a little something before exercise is a great way to maximize your workout. It boosts performance and improves stamina, helps prevent low blood sugar (which saps energy and can cause lightheadedness), and fuels muscle and liver carbohydrate stores to provide lasting energy for the duration of your workout.
But if you don’t get the balance right, you’ll wind up feeling full – not fueled for your workout – as you found out.
The type of snack you should have depends on several factors: your metabolism and digestive system, as well as the type of exercise you’ll be doing. Because everyone’s metabolism and digestive system is unique, listen to your body to find your own balance and timing. You may also find it helpful to keep a journal of your snacks, workouts, and how you feel.
Meanwhile, here are some guidelines:
1. Blood flow to your belly for digestion means less to your muscles for fuel. It can also mean that you’ll feel bloated during your workout. Yuck! Aim to have a solid meal or snack 45-90 minutes before your workout. And allow more digestion time before intense exercise (like circuit training) as opposed to lower-intensity exercise (like Pilates).
2. If you have difficulty with digestion, go with a liquid snack instead of something solid. Liquids take less time to digest, and so can be enjoyed 30 minutes before your workout.
3. While sugary snacks will give you a quick boost, you will experience a drop in energy when your blood sugar levels stabilize. Don’t rely on too much fruit, and stay away from quick-converting sugars in general – especially before your workout.
4. Eating carb-heavy foods before a workout can interfere with performance and cause stomach discomfort – mainly because the body is still working to digest the carbs.
5. Opt for slow-burning low-glycemic carbs. A study published in the May 2009 issue of the Journal of Nutrition found that women who ate low-glycemic carbs before a workout burned 50 percent more fat during the workout. Wow!
If you want to learn all about the metabolic power ingredients that stimulate fat burning – and tasty ways to combine them to create a tummy-trimming pre-workout snack – check out pages 19 to 22 of “Your Guide to Living a Low-Glycemic Lifestyle.” It’s part of my new series, Your Plate, Your Fate. You can pick up a copy right here.
- Kelley Herring
Skimmers are small electronic devices that identity thieves attach to ATMs, gas pump card readers, and other places where you swipe credit or debit cards. They are used to steal card numbers, expiration dates, and PINs. And now criminals in Eastern Europe have come up with a new twist: a software skimmer that is inserted in the operating code (usually Windows-based) of the ATM’s computer. The program allows them to access all the personal data for all the cards used in the machine.
Security experts predict that the new skimmers could make an appearance in the U.S. soon.
(Source: Scientific American)
72 hours from now, you could be collecting over $3,000 a month… just by chatting down at the coffee shop with friends.
* No social skills needed.
* No selling involved.
* No customer hassles.
Follow simple 1-2-3 steps, and you’ll be ready to go in under 20 minutes.
The “occiput” (AHK-sih-put) – from the Latin for “against the head” – is the back part of the skull.
Example (as used by Alan Falk in Michigan Lawyers Weekly): “So let me suggest that everyone put away their pitchforks and firebrands and stop trying to ‘bury the hatchet’ by planting it in the other fellow’s occiput.”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker... build your self-confidence and intellect... increase your attractiveness to others... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Issue# 2722
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Six years ago Brad Solomon’s business was netting him less then $60,000 a year, and the business itself had little or no value.
As a direct result of the “ETR / Agora Model” business-building ideas – Brad Soloman increased his sales to over $6.5 million annually.
“But the best part is that the business brings in net income of over $650,000 a year that goes right into my pocket. That’s not paper profits, but positive cash flow,” Brad says.
And it all started with some instruction in the “ETR / Agora Model”…
In Denver this week, ETR’s team of experts is giving over five full days of instruction on the “ETR / Agora Model” – and we’re capturing every expert guideline, Q+A session, step-by-step presentation so you too can follow along at home…
And use the model to build your own Internet money-making business…
Until 5:00 pm this Saturday, you can save 80% plus score an incredible cash-generating $2,000 bonus…
This recession has revealed a psychological rift in the world’s consciousness.
A lot of people are scared and angry. They’ve lost their jobs, their businesses, their insurance, and in some cases their self-worth. They feel victimized by events, by elites, and by entities. So they bob up and down, waiting to be rescued by a government or a friend. They hunker down into a form of abdication of self-responsibility because it feels better to be justified in misery than vulnerable in power.
And the interesting thing about this group of people is how threatened they are by another group.
This second group of people may be suffering just as much in real terms as the first group, but they refuse to see themselves as victims. Instead of giving up and waiting to be rescued, they are scrapping and hustling and retooling. Starting businesses. Taking risks. Flexing muscles they may not have fully understood or claimed before. In crisis, they are making opportunity – and, in the process, taking responsibility for making themselves.
They are discovering something amazing about work: that it really isn’t about the money or the power or the status. In other words, not about the external rewards. Those rewards are nice (actually, they’re awesome when received in the right way) – but the real reward of work, or entrepreneurship, is the flowering of passion. When we take responsibility for our contributions to this universe, we discover that work truly is, in Khalil Gibran’s words, “love made manifest.”
[Ed. Note: Which group are you in? You can take a stand against the recession this instant. Not only can you pursue your passion, you can turn it into a moneymaking venture. Get all the details right here. Hurry - the price goes up $200 this Saturday at 5:00 p.m.
When not contemplating social issues, Howie Jacobson is an expert on Google AdWords and driving traffic to your website. Get his complimentary AdWords ER Report "Why Most AdWords Campaigns Fail - and How to Make Yours Succeed" at www.AskHowie.com.]
“In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield.”
- Warren Buffett
By John Forde
Ad agency guys love brands. They love brand-driven advertising too.
On the website for Ogilvy & Mather, the agency founded by legendary ad man David Ogilvy, I once saw the phrase “We’re all about brands.” Poor old Ogilvy probably did a double-tumble tailspin in his grave.
As readers of Early to Rise know, I love to trash the whole idea of brand marketing. And I’m not alone. The entire direct-response industry leans away from it.
It’s just not in our blood. And not for no reason.
Brand-based marketing logic, after all, is the planning you see behind all those Super Bowl commercials that make you laugh but sell nothing.
It’s the thinking behind sleek, wordless billboards and print ads that leave you scratching your head. (”Hmm,” you say to yourself, “I feel vaguely sexy… and crave salted pork products… but I have no idea why.”)
But the main reason we in the measurable, quantifiable world of direct response reject the strategy of introducing a product based on brand is because it is usually a long, laborious, and not measurably effective process. And, far too often, an exercise in self-adulation. But not much more.
However – and you’d better sit down for this – it turns out there’s at least one area in the world of direct response where… yes… even yours truly can spot some value in pumping up the profile of a product’s brand.
Not just a small area. A huge one. Very big.
How so?
How E-Mail Relationships Change Everything
Used to be, every marketing piece that went to your target customers was in an envelope, sent cold to a rented list. Your prospect didn’t know you from Adam.
Brand mattered little, because you had little footing with the prospect in the first place. Benefits and features, instead, told the story.
Then we started marketing online.
You can’t do cold e-mailing online, because that’s what we call sp*m. So the best and brightest e-mail-driven businesses went about it another way.
First, they built relationships with their prospects. With e-zines. With product fulfillment and digital extras delivered to inboxes. With membership sites that brought visitors in free, then kept them coming back for more.
And what’s more important in e-mail marketing than getting a recipient to open your steady stream of e-mail missives? Nothing. Without that, your efforts are sand on a sea turtle’s back. Going nowhere in a hurry.
The relationship is what gets the e-mail opened. The relationship is what gets the e-mail read. The relationship is what makes way for the sale. And that relationship is based on… yep… a kind of “brand” trust that surrounds you or your organization as the source of that e-mail.
The Power of the T-Factor
In short, you’re counting on your name… which IS your “brand”… to carry enough “T” factor (Trust) to keep the reader from clicking “delete.”
The best way to earn any kind of noble brand status, in e-mail or anywhere else, is via the quality of the product itself. Online, that means quality content. Content that informs. That entertains. That gets results. Or at least shows the reader how to get results.
Occasionally, that can happen in a single flash of brilliance. More often, it happens as a trickle. Over time.
First, there’s the e-zine or the valuable online report. There also might be a website, full of content and trustworthy testimonials.
Then there’s the respectful treatment. The lack of sp*m. The html that doesn’t take forever to download. The ideas never heard or seen elsewhere.
A thank you note for sign-ups. Delivery that actually sticks to the promised mailing schedule. And so on.
Until the reader can’t wait to hear what you have to say next. You’ve become part of his online “family.” A member of his inner circle of trust. And that’s where you reap the rewards.
You can now endorse products you’re pretty sure your readers will want. And if you’re right, they’ll even buy.
Continuing to offer them good products deepens that trust cycle. And your brand takes on an even brighter shine. Every subsequent sale, even for higher-priced stuff, gets that much easier.
Of course, bungle it and you’ll lose your brand power pretty darn fast. But there’s no denying it – the deeper this cycle goes, the more valuable that idea of a brand becomes.
The new customer becomes the loyal customer. Ready to spend more, too. Not just a little, but often by multiples. And you’re soon selling lots of specialty items to your serious fans.
This is where fortune building begins.
Yet again, a lot of this depends on how well you lay the groundwork… on having quality information to offer your prospects, right up front.
And that has to happen long before the marketers and copywriters come along.
[Ed. Note: To get more of copywriting expert John Forde's wisdom and insights into marketing (and much more), sign up for his free e-letter, Copywriter's Roundtable. Get a free report about 15 deadly copy mistakes and how to avoid them when you sign up today.
You can start your own powerful e-mail marketing business in just 5 days with help from ETR's team of experts. In ETR's Internet Business-Building DVD Library, you'll discover how to build a website and pick a product. Plus, you'll learn about product marketing, customer list building, joint venture and affiliate marketing, search engine optimization, pay-per-click marketing and Google AdWords, content creation, and much more. Pick up this A-to-Z business-building program before July 18 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, and you can save $200 AND get a $2,000 bonus.]
If you can persuade and influence others, you can command top-dollar from companies eager to beat a path to your doorstep. Or, start your own business and use your skills to move the masses to buy your own products and services.
And now, it’s easier than ever for you to master the art of persuasion because three of today’s top ad writers and businessmen have dissected the teachings of a legend in the business world. A man who was directly responsible for over $2 BILLION in sales, working just four hours a day.
You can quickly learn his secret techniques and apply them however you wish. To land your perfect job… sell more for clients who hire you… start your own business… even apply them in your personal relationships…
When you master this skill, a whole new world opens up to you because you have the ability to persuade others. See exactly what we mean and get all the details by clicking here.
By Matt Furey
Many people wonder where so-called “creative” people get their ideas.
They’re looking for answers that are profound. There aren’t any.
Ideas are in the air at all times. You simply reach in and pull one out by doing something that all young kids do in their imagination each and every day.
That is – you “make it up.”
Yes, you may “make up” your ideas based upon things you’ve already seen and heard – or felt. Yes, you may combine one thing with another thing until you have something unique. But you still “made it up.”
And when you make things up, you do so without resistance. You simply imagine – then move.
The other day, my eight-year-old and five-year-old were pounding me with punches while I was lying on the couch. They were yelling “Inside Kung Fu!” – then chopping me. A minute later, they were flexing and strutting around, saying “Errh, muscles!”
Where are they getting this stuff?
Sure, they’ve been influenced by me. But I have never gone around our home saying “Inside Kung Fu” while throwing punches. Nor have I ever flexed in front of my kids, grunted, and said “Muscles.”
Yes, there are bits and pieces of these elements at play – though most certainly NOT in the way my kids put them together. But as soon as the ideas “popped” into their creative little minds, they began expressing what they were thinking.
Becoming successful in business is much the same.
My successes – on the Internet as well as off the Internet – have NOT been a result of long-term planning, trying to get every detail right before doing anything. They have been a result of using my imagination to come up with an idea. Then moving forward on the idea – and continuing to move forward on it until the idea got completed.
And coming up with ideas isn’t hard. They’re all around us. Just look at little kids and you’ll see what I mean.
[Ed. Note: Matt Furey, an internationally recognized expert in self-development, fitness, and martial arts, is president of the Psycho-Cybernetics Foundation, Inc. With Matt's 101 Ways to Magnetize Money, you can learn the REAL SECRETS of financial success known only to the most prosperous men and women who have ever lived. Find out more right here.
Once you've got the idea, you need to put it into action. Get a step-by-step guide for turning your thoughts into a money-making business with Michael Masterson's runaway best-seller, Ready, Fire, Aim: From Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat.]
By Shane “The People’s Chemist” Ellison
My wife recently competed in the Arnold Amateur Figure Competition – the largest competition of its kind in the world. This is like a beauty contest in a bikini. Women are judged on their muscular physique and posing.
A 30-year-old mom of two, she swept the competition! (And the women she was competing against were 21- to 25-year-old non-moms.) What is her secret to staying lean and muscular? For one thing, she sticks to five essential foods:
1. Organic eggs
2. All-natural grass-fed beef
3. Wild salmon
4. Avocados
5. Whey isolate
These five fat-burners are staples in her diet. Why are they so critical to keeping the fat off? You see, unlike men, women are very sensitive to the fat-storing hormone insulin. (It’s because they have lower testosterone levels.) These five foods help keep insulin – and blood sugar – low, therefore helping to keep fat off.
These foods are also rich in healthy fats, which help us stay fuller longer, thereby warding off binge eating and snacks.
[Ed. Note: Shane Ellison's entire career has been dedicated to the study of molecules - how they give life and how they take from it. He was a two-time recipient of the prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Grant for his research in biochemistry and physiology. He is a bestselling author, holds a master's degree in organic chemistry, and has first-hand experience in drug design. Take advantage of his knowledge and insights to look and feel your best in 90 days.]
India has long been the go-to country for companies looking for low-cost customer service and software programming. And now Hollywood studios are increasingly looking to India for special effects artists to help make movie magic. Currently, the Indian companies are doing mostly midlevel work. But they hope the higher-end jobs, such as creating entire computer-generated landscapes, will start coming their way as their expertise grows.
(Source: Associated Press)
Would you be willing to set aside 15 minutes a day if it meant you could…
I thought so.
I’d like to show you exactly how you can dramatically increase your chances of achieving these (or other) goals in 2009.
Someone who’s “obstreperous” (ob-STREP-ur-us) – from the Latin for “to make a noise against” – is noisily and stubbornly defiant.
Example (as used by Marilyn Stasio in a New York Times review of Finger Lickin’ Fifteen by Janet Evanovich): “Eye on the reward, Stephanie’s obstreperous fat friend, Lula, decides to enter the cook-off, which she reckons will attract the killer.”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker... build your self-confidence and intellect... increase your attractiveness to others... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Issue# 2721
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
* Highly Recommended *
Kevin Hodges first started using this "blueprint" about five years ago, when his business was a two-person operation.
With only a small amount of instruction on how to implement this blueprint (far less than you can expect to get) – Kevin’s business grew to be grossing over $7 million annually and could now easily be sold for $3.5 million or more.
“This makes me the only 28-year-old I know who can retire today if I wanted to … though business is way too much fun right now,” Kevin was recently quoted as saying.
This "blueprint" is responsible for generating $275 million a year in Internet revenues. Right now, you can not only get your hands on this blueprint to creating lasting wealth… but you can get expert, step-by-step instruction in how to make it work for YOU.
If you act by 5:00 pm this Saturday, we’ll show you how to get your wealth-building guide at an 80% discount… plus, how you can grab an additional cash generator worth $2,000 at no extra cost.
Hurry – 470,000+ ETR readers are reading this message too, so these won’t last long.
The most important thing you need to realize before asking for a promotion is this: Your employer is not really interested in you and why you think you deserve a higher-paying position.
He’s interested in himself. And he’s interested in his business – the problems and the challenges his company faces every day. He may be in need of someone to help him, but he doesn’t care about how wonderful that person is. He just wants to know: "Can this person solve my problems?"
If you think of your objective as a direct-marketing problem, it will be relatively easy to achieve.
Direct marketing is the science of creating positive responses with sales copy. By using its proven secrets, you dramatically increase your chances of getting the kind of response you are looking for.
The direct marketer knows that, to make a sale, she can’t waste her prospect’s time by talking about herself. Everything she says in her sales pitch must be focused on the prospect’s problem and how much better his life will be after buying the product she’s selling.
This is exactly what you have to do when you make your case to your boss. In this case, you are the "product" you’re selling. You have to let him know that you understand exactly what his problems are and that you have solutions for each and every one of them.
[Ed. Note: This article was adapted from Michael Masterson's bestseller, Seven Years to Seven Figures: The Fast-Track Plan to Becoming a Millionaire. For more specific advice on how to get a promotion and start building your wealth FAST, go here.]
"To be humble to superiors is duty, to equals courtesy, to inferiors nobleness."
- Benjamin Franklin
"Actually, I’m a total weakling," I told Bob. "I’ve got a lot in common with the guy in those classic bodybuilding ads who kept getting sand kicked in his face."
Bob had just commented on how I looked like I worked out a lot – and I sensed that, because I looked so "big," it bothered him.
We were meeting for the first time, and I wanted to secure a deal with him. I didn’t want him to feel intimidated or get his guard up. (Not that being bigger and stronger is worth much when it comes to business.) So I used an old comedian’s technique to win him over.
Not only did I admit to being a "natural-born" weakling, I told him that I’m a lousy athlete. I said that any strength I had was artificially created through years of working out – and that the moment I stopped exercising religiously, my muscles would melt away with alarming speed.
Bob did just what crowds do in a comedy club when a performer uses this technique. He smiled and loosened up.
People don’t go to a comedy club to listen to some guy on stage who presents himself as being smarter, better looking, and making more money than they do. They go to feel good. And when a comic uses self-deprecating humor, it makes them feel good about themselves. It’s just human nature.
Putting yourself down to build up the other guy works just as well in the business world – whether you’re trying to close a deal, get other people to support your objectives, or win new customers.
Here’s an example of how it works…
John, a real estate multimillionaire, was interested in buying an office building that was about to go into foreclosure. The owner had taken a risk when he bought the building by using almost all his cash for a down payment. Then, when the economy slowed and several tenants moved out, his cash flow slowed to a trickle… and he was in trouble.
When John met with the owner, it was clear that the man expected to take a financial beating on the property – and was blaming himself for the situation he was in. So before John even made an offer, while shuffling through the papers in his briefcase, he chatted about his own "problems." Shaking his head, John said, "I don’t know how it happened, but I have no control over anything at home." He confided that his wife ruled the roost – and he felt lucky that she even allowed him to watch football on Sundays.
There was a smile on the owner’s face as he read through John’s offer… and then, feeling very much in control, signed the contract.
Here’s another example…
When Jane was hired as the manager of a retail jewelry store, she expected trouble. The assistant manager was 20 years her senior, and had worked for the company for eight years. Needless to say, he resented having been passed over for the promotion.
As Jane walked through the door her first morning on the job, the assistant manager made some flippant, borderline-offensive comments. The other employees laughed, and Jane knew she had to do something quickly to overcome this potential obstacle to her success.
She could’ve given the assistant manager a verbal lashing in front of everyone, but she knew that would simply make matters worse. Instead, a bit later in the day, Jane asked him to come into her office.
"I’m going to be honest with you," Jane admitted. "I’m so scared about doing a good job that I almost lost my breakfast this morning."
The anger in his eyes dissipated as Jane continued: "I know that I’m an outsider, and there must be a ton of things I don’t know that could ruin me. I’m hoping I can count on you – so, together, we can make this the number one store in the chain."
The assistant manager’s attitude completely turned around. From that moment on, he went above and beyond the call of duty to get the entire staff to support all of Jane’s decisions.
Now before you try this self-deprecation technique for yourself, there is one important caveat: What you say about yourself must ring true, or you’ll completely alienate the person you’re trying to win over. But when used correctly, it is a very powerful tool – and only one of many that I have in my arsenal.
There is nothing more important to a business career than knowing how to deal with other people. If you want to have every advantage on your side, click right here and check out my free report on People Power Skills.
[Ed. Note: Paul Lawrence is a successful entrepreneur and publisher who has started over a dozen profitable enterprises. If you're interested in starting a new business with less than $100 in capital, you should take a look at Paul's Micro-Business program right here. It could add thousands to your bank account in as little as 30 days.]
If you feel like you’ve gotten the short end of the stick in the stock market… it’s probably true.
Good trades here and there… Other trades that wound up costing you big… If you’re lucky, you wind up breaking even.
All the while, the Wall Street elite keep getting richer.
One former Wall Street insider discovered how the "fat cats" wound up with wealth beyond anything an Average Joe could imagine.
You can piggy-back on their success using his "road map to riches."
There’s one catch: You can "only" pull out "small" stacks of cash – no more than $5K to $10K at a time.
Get your free report on this low-risk strategy right here.
By Bob Cox
Way back in January, you set a goal for yourself. Let’s say you wanted to lose 10 pounds by July 1. After months of hard work and discipline, you’re down nearly 12 pounds! Success!
Now… how do you keep yourself from slacking off and erasing everything you’ve achieved so far? Here are three ways to maintain your success:
1. Work hard even when no one is watching.
Commit yourself to excellence without the need for someone else’s approval. Yes, it is wonderful to receive a "pat on the back" from friends, family, or coworkers. But it’s much better to develop your own personal sense of pride and accomplishment.
2. Never arrive.
This may sound counter-intuitive. But one of the best ways to sustain success is to think of your goal as a construction project that’s always in progress and yet to be completed.
Never see yourself as having finished your goal journey. Condition yourself to actively keep learning. Learn more about your field when your goal is to advance in your profession… learn more about technique when your goal is to advance in a physical skill… and learn more about what everyone else in your industry is doing when your goal is to advance your business.
3. Be persistent.
If you keep going the extra mile – or even taking one more step after everyone else has given up – you will keep getting results. Over time, this will become a way of life… and you will be unstoppable.
[Ed. Note: If you have dreams you want to achieve and goals you want to accomplish, you CAN do it on your own. But you could reach success so much faster with step-by-step guidance from success mentor Bob Cox. Bob - who has worked one-on-one with four billionaires and monitored the techniques they used to succeed - can help you determine exactly what you want out of life and the exact steps you need to take to get there. Find out how to become one of Bob's proteges right here.]
If you work hard all week, then find yourself "crashing" on the weekend – just when you need even more energy to do the things you love – here are some tips for you:
1. Go to bed and get up at the same time as you do during the week.
I guarantee you won’t be tired all weekend – and you won’t have trouble falling asleep on Sunday night.
2. Start your weekend days with 30 minutes of fun activity.
It doesn’t have to be a structured workout (you can save that for during the week), but getting up and getting moving will get you off to a high-energy start.
3. Avoid high-calorie, high-sugar brunches.
A surefire way to make yourself sleepy is to load up on orange juice and pancakes after your weekend "workout." So skip those foods, stick to an omelet filled with vegetables, and drink green tea.
And when you get together with your friends, keep your energy high by going for a hike or bike ride, rather than sitting down in a pub or movie theater with a bunch of high-calorie snacks.
[Ed. Note: Regular exercise can help keep your energy levels high any day of the week. Fitness expert Craig Ballantyne has put together a high-energy program that allows you to burn fat and build muscle in three 45-minute sessions each week. Learn more here.
For more easy-to-implement ideas about how to live longer and feel better, get your free subscription to ETR's natural health newsletter.]
One-quarter of U.S. employers have eliminated matching contributions to employee retirement plans, specifically 401(k)s, since last September, according to a recent report from discount broker Charles Schwab Corp. Another quarter have limited enrollment to certain employees. Most of these companies claim these measures have been taken temporarily as a result of the ongoing recession.
(Source: Reuters)
Are you a disillusioned stock market investor?
Or maybe even just a “regular” Joe or Jane alarmed by the economic woes reported daily on every TV channel, radio station, the Internet, newspapers, and magazines?
If so I’d like to invite you to join my “anti-Wall Street” club.
We don’t sit around bad-mouthing fat cats or lamenting our lost dollars.
In the Liberty Street League, we’re getting even by making money hand over fist “off Wall Street.”
Find out if you qualify to join the League today.
A "lamster" LAM-ster) – a word with obscure origins – is a fugitive, especially from the law.
Example (as used by Christopher Loudon in The Financial Post): "The vast majority of identity-changers become scurrying lamsters, spinning an endless wheel of lies and deception… ."
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker... build your self-confidence and intellect... increase your attractiveness to others... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Issue# 2720
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Thousands of entrepreneurs are buying and trying to “flip” foreclosures these days.
But one man has made $3.2 million in foreclosures by refusing to jump on the “fix and flip” bandwagon. He has learned to approach the market in a whole new way.
Go against the “crowd” with him, and learn how you could make thousands a week on “autopilot” with virtually zero risk… a few hundred in start up capital… all while working from home for just an hour day on your home computer.
“The man who stops advertising to save money is like the man who stops the clock to save time.”
- (attributed to Thomas Jefferson)
By Bob Bly
Whenever the country is in a recession, marketing trade publications run articles extolling the importance of continuing to advertise. Since these articles are usually contributed by ad agencies and marketing consultants, one could argue that they are self-serving.
As Warren Buffett says, “Don’t ask the barber if you need a haircut.”
Marketing professionals make money only when companies buy their services. But do they REALLY believe that spending money on advertising in a recession is smart business? Or are they pushing clients to keep spending so they themselves won’t starve?
During a recession, when money is tight, should companies ramp up their marketing… keep it steady… cut back… or stop altogether?
Following the 1981-1982 recession, the McGraw-Hill Research Laboratory of Advertising Performance analyzed the performance of some 600 industrial companies during the downturn. Of course, we must keep in mind that McGraw-Hill, as a major publisher of trade journals, depends on ad revenues to maintain profitability. That being said, they found that “business-to-business firms that maintained or increased their marketing expenditures during the 1981-1982 recession averaged significantly higher sales growth both during the recession and for the following 3 years than those which eliminated or decreased marketing.”
In a different study, Management Review asked American Management Association (AMA) member firms about their spending during the 1990-1991 recession. The data showed that most firms that increased their marketing budgets enjoyed gains in market share.
One of my readers, MT, owns a software company. In response to the recession, he has cut his budget for Google AdWords campaigns in half.
How did he determine what to trim?
Before the recession hit, MT ran 10 Google PPC ad campaigns – all profitable. “When the economy turned south, six of those PPC campaigns, those targeted mainly at fence-sitters who don’t buy any longer, began to lose money,” said MT. So he wisely cut those unprofitable PPC campaigns – and kept running the four that were moneymakers.
According to an article in Internet Retailer, nearly four out of five households earning $100,000 a year or more said they are cutting back their spending. And when consumers cut back on spending, your business can take a real hit – especially if you sell a product that’s “nice to have” vs. one that customers absolutely must have.
So what can you do to maintain healthy sales during a recession that is likely to continue for some time?
The first thing big corporations cut in tough times is marketing. That’s really stupid. And, yes, I know that, as a copywriter, I sound self-serving when I say this. But marketing, when done right, makes money, brings in customers, and generates sales.
During a recession, your biggest problem is making sales and maintaining revenues – exactly what marketing is designed to accomplish. So stopping all marketing really makes no sense. What DOES make sense is MT’s approach:
1. Precisely measure the ROI (return on investment) from all your marketing campaigns.
2. Cut the ones that lose money.
3. Keep the ones that make money.
John Wanamaker, a famous retailer in his day, once said, “Half my advertising is wasted, but I don’t know which half.” But today, with direct-response measurement and Web analytics, we DO know which half is wasted. So we can fix or eliminate the wasted ads, and generate a positive ROI by running the ones that do work.
I am taking a survey on my website (www.bly.com) on how the recession has affected my visitors. So far, 38 percent of survey participants say their sales are flat, while 25 percent report increased sales and 37 percent have seen sales fall.
Eight out of 10 express some degree of worry about the effect the recession will have on their business and their sales. In response, 32 percent have increased their marketing budgets and 24 percent are spending less on marketing. Yet most are holding firm on pricing. More than 8 out of 10 say they have not lowered their prices to stimulate sales.
When it comes to predicting economic recovery, my survey participants are slightly pessimistic. Just over 57 percent believe the recession will end this year or (more likely) next year. Almost 43 percent say the country won’t recover from the recession until 2011 or later.
To find out more about marketing and selling in a recession, click here now.
[Ed. Note: Bob Bly is a freelance copywriter and the author of more than 70 books. To subscribe to his free e-zine, The Direct Response Letter, and claim your free gift worth $116, click here now.
It might surprise you to know that many marketing channels cost nothing or next to nothing to explore. If you know what they are, and the best ways to use them, you can attract paying customers no matter what the economy is doing. Join Early to Rise and world-class marketing genius Bob Bly in the remarkable new program we've put together solely to solve today's most pressing business problem: How to make money during the recession. Get all the details here.]
Discover how you could make a $28,600 to $114,400 side-income, depending on stakes – just by following “dummy- proof” red and green signals.
By Ilise Benun
One of the first questions you get when you meet someone at a networking event is “What do you do?” You need to answer this question not only at networking events but on job applications… on your website or blog… in promotional materials… and that’s just the half of it!
Clearly conveying the kind of work you do can be something of a challenge. You don’t want to say “I’m a copywriter” or “I sell shoes.” Boring! You want to capture the other person’s attention and get them to remember you.
Last week, a new client gave me a great idea for how to answer this critical question: Get the language from your testimonials (or even the testimonials on your competitors’ websites).
For example, I could take this testimonial for my business, Marketing Mentor:
“Thank you so much for helping me – I think I’d still be spinning my wheels! You’ve been a great partner in this sometimes halting process of getting the word out about what I do.”
… and turn it into this:
“We partner with you so you can stop spinning your wheels and get the word out about what you do.”
[Ed. Note: Ilise Benun is an author, consultant, national speaker, and co-founder of Marketing-Mentor.com. She helps her clients learn the tools they need to market their services, get ideal clients, and grow their businesses.
You can get twice-monthly marketing tips and a free report on "20 Ways to Get Your Prospects to Call You Back" when you sign up for Ilise's Quick Tips newsletter.]
Here’s something I discovered shortly after launching my business in 2001: Up to a point, customers don’t really mind when something goes wrong.
What drives them batty is when they complain and nobody cares. And when you make it clear to everyone in your organization that listening to customers is the Number One job of your business, you can turn the inevitable screw-ups into opportunities to build loyal customers and passionate fans.
Luckily for me, I made lots of mistakes when I was starting out. That gave me constant opportunities to provide great “I’m really sorry” customer service and improve my business – the marketing, products, fulfillment, and more – rapidly.
What about your business?
Do the customer service folks on the front lines really feel remorse when your business screws up, or are they just punching the clock? Do your employees feel empowered to admit mistakes, their own and yours? Do your customers feel respected and heard?
If not, you have your marching orders.
[Ed. Note: Howie Jacobson (www.askhowie.com) is an Internet marketing expert specializing in pay-per-click advertising. In fact, he literally wrote the book on the subject: AdWords for Dummies.
Find out how Howie increased his income by five times - by accident - and how his unintentional good fortune can make YOU rich right here.]
Your biggest roadblock to staying fit is probably that it isn’t fun. I just read a study which found that most overweight folks don’t find exercise enjoyable. Worse, instead of feeling energized, they feel tired after a workout.
No wonder it seems to be so hard to lose weight!
But, no matter what you have experienced in the past, losing fat can be fun and fast. It doesn’t require long, boring workouts. It can also mean making new friends by participating in fat-loss forums and group training or fitness classes.
If you are just getting started, here’s what you need to do…
1. Get a trainer or nutritionist for professional accountability. Research from Stanford University found that this improves fat-loss results.
2. Work out with a friend who is also losing weight. It will help keep both of you motivated.
3. Go online and get social support in a weight-loss forum.
4. Join a bootcamp and work out to cool music with new friends.
5. Get a nutrition buddy at work who will help you stay on track.
Combine the social support with good eating and proper workouts, and you’ll feel energized all day long. Soon you’ll completely transform your body and boost your confidence… and you’ll be living the fat-loss lifestyle forever!
[Ed. Note: Exercise doesn't have to be grueling or boring. Fitness expert Craig Ballantyne has put together a high-energy program that allows you to burn fat and build muscle in three 45-minute sessions each week. Learn more here.
For more easy-to-implement ideas about how to live longer and feel better, get your free subscription to ETR's natural health newsletter.]
A new survey from FutureSource Consulting has found that 10 percent of Web surfers in the U.S. and Europe have watched illegally downloaded videos. France appears to have the most violators, with 25 percent of respondents from that country admitting to accessing pirated TV shows, movies, and the like.
(Source: PC Advisor UK)
What if you knew you couldn”t fail at making money? I mean it…
What if you had miraculously ingrained into your mind to attract such
wealth that deals came to you effortlessly?
Opportunities you never thought possible PLOPPED into your lap with a note attached that read, “These dead presidents are for you…”
Not just any money… but a financial windfall that is so huge you think a rich relative died and left you an inheritance… THAT type of wealth.
GONE are your unpaid bills… GONE is that old clunker of a car and now you have a Mercedes… GONE is the stress of never having to worry about making lots of money and your family never suffering again!
Now, how would your life change if you had a Billionaire Mentor reveal to you his “wealth attraction secrets?”
And what if I told you could learn all these billionaire money-magnet strategies in just 30 days— guaranteed?
Well, you are about to find out…
Click here to get all the inside details…
“Succor” (SUHK-er) – from the Latin for “to go beneath” – is help or relief.
Example (as used by Daniel Gross in The New York Times): “The financial meltdown has sent the literary-minded scurrying back to the classics for insight and succor.”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker... build your self-confidence and intellect... increase your attractiveness to others... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's Words to the Wise CD Library.]
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